The Council on Chemical Abuse & Caron Treatment Centers invite you to register for Berks County Professional Development Day For Student Assistance Professionals

Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 8:00 am. – 3:15 pm
Berks County Intermediate Unit

This event is offered at no cost, thanks to the Council on Chemical Abuse, Berks County Intermediate Unit and Caron Treatment Centers.
Act 48 credits available to all participants who complete the survey after the final session.

The Council on Chemical Abuse and Caron Treatment Centers invite you to register for a full day of training focusing on topics related to K-12 SAP teams. This event will be held in-person at the Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU). Lunch will be provided. We will also recognize schools, teams, and individuals during the Berks’ SAP Awards Presentation.

Workshops & Presenters

Rewind & Redo: A Prevention Makeover
Presenter – Jeff Hanley, Executive Director, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
Session Summary: Join us for an engaging, interactive discussion as we revisit drug and alcohol prevention campaigns from the 80s and 90s, reflecting on why some of the most memorable (and often misguided) prevention messages missed the mark with youth. From there, we’ll transition into the “Makeover” by exploring what prevention science now tells us about what works—and what doesn’t. Drawing on current research, we’ll examine evidence-informed approaches to the Prevention Trifecta: increasing knowledge, building skills, and supporting healthy beliefs, attitudes, and environments. We’ll also explore ineffective prevention strategies that may lack a trauma-informed approach, highlighting the importance of addressing risk factors and promoting protective factors to support successful prevention efforts. Finally, we’ll reimagine how community-powered, evidence-based, trauma-informed strategies can drive resilience, transform environments, and lead to healthy, thriving communities

Creating Tech Savvy Teens: Winning the Digital Game and Dodging Gambling Traps! Examining ‘Teens and Technology’: A Two-Part Prevention Education Program for Middle and High School Students
Presenter – Leslie Houck, Prevention Specialist, Council on Chemical Abuse
Session Summary: Helping Students Build Healthy Digital Habits equips educators with practical strategies to support students in developing a balanced relationship with technology. This session explores current trends in gaming, social media, and online behavior, while highlighting key topics like digital safety, privacy, and gambling awareness. Participants will leave with tools and conversation starters to help students make informed, responsible choices and build healthy tech habits both in and out of the classroom.

Working with School-Based Outpatient Providers
Presenters – Michele Ruano-Weber, MA, CPRP & Gregory J. Gerdeman, LSW Berks County Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Program
Session Summary: This presentation will address outpatient school satellites and how SAP teams work together in schools. School-Based Outpatient Providers, the referral process, and how SBOPs can support SAP teams will be discussed.

The Partnership Between Public Child Welfare and Schools
Presenter – Jennifer K. O’Neil, Esq., Deputy Administrator, Berks County Children & Youth Services
Session Summary: What happens after you make the call to ChildLine?  What do they actually do at Children & Youth?  This presentation will help educators better understand the inner workings of the public child welfare system, as well as the critical importance of good partnership with schools.  Please come with questions!  This is meant to be informative, but also a dialogue that will help strengthen the relationship between our organizations and, ultimately, better serve the children of Berks County.

Sap Networking and Discussion
Presenter – Jennifer Moyer, Education Alliance Operations Coordinator, Caron Treatment Centers

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!

We're sorry, the 2026 SAP Professional Development Day is now full. Please visit our events page for information of other professional trainings.

Nominate someone for a Joe Lauginiger Berks County SAP Award

Below are the list of awards that will be presented at SAP Professional Development Day

Creativity Award: This award recognizes a school group or program that promotes prevention initiatives and/or highlights Student Assistance Program values such as healthy coping skills, positive health choices, behavioral health support promotion in a new and exciting manner.
Celebrated SAP Team Award: This award highlights a SAP team that has made great strides in improving their SAP process, educating their faculty and community about SAP or generally helping more students through their Student Assistance Program.
SAP Supporter Award: This honor recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact on SAP programming in their school or the Berks County community. This person supports the healthy development of children, access to behavioral health services, and prevention initiatives.